Deputies: Man found dead in burning Zellwood home was homicide victim

A man found dead at a burning home in Zellwood on Thursday night was a homicide victim, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said today.

Firefighters arrived at the home just off Orange Blossom Trail and behind St. Luke Full Gospel Baptist Church just before midnight to find the home heavily engulfed in flames and smoke.

When crews went inside, they found the man, described only as a white man in his late 40s to early 50s, in a bedroom.

Evidence at the scene and a preliminary examination of the man's body indicate that the man was killed deliberately, according to the Sheriff's Office, which has not revealed the cause of the man's death.

There were no other injuries, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.

Deputies will not reveal the man's name until the body has been formally identified and his next of kin have been notified of his death.

According to television reports, nearby residents told authorities they saw at least one person running from the home.